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Greater plasticity in lower-level than higher-level visual motion processing in a passive perceptual learning task

Nature Neuroscience volume 5, pages 1003–1009 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Simple exposure is sufficient to sensitize the human visual system to a particular direction of motion, but the underlying mechanisms of this process are unclear. Here, in a passive perceptual learning task, we found that exposure to task-irrelevant motion improved sensitivity to the local motion directions within the stimulus, which are processed at low levels of the visual system. In contrast, task-irrelevant motion had no effect on sensitivity to the global motion direction, which is processed at higher levels. The improvement persisted for at least several months. These results indicate that when attentional influence is limited, lower-level motion processing is more receptive to long-term modification than higher-level motion processing in the visual cortex.

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Figure 1: Methods of the first experiment.
Figure 2: Results of the first experiment.
Figure 3: Procedure and results of the second experiment.
Figure 4: Results of the third and fourth experiments.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank M. Herzog and D. Somers for comments. This research was supported by a Human Behavior & Cognition Program of the National Science Foundation grant (BCS-9905194) to T.W. and an ASU West Vision Science Lab grant to J.N.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Boston University, 64 Cummington Street, Boston, 02215, Massachusetts, USA

    Takeo Watanabe, Shinichi Koyama, Ikuko Mukai & Jacqueline Liederman

  2. Department of Social and Behavioral Science, Arizona State University West, Phoenix, 85069, Arizona, USA

    José E. Náñez Sr.

  3. NMR Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, 02129, Massachusetts, USA

    Yuka Sasaki

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  1. Takeo Watanabe
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Correspondence to Takeo Watanabe.

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Watanabe, T., Náñez, J., Koyama, S. et al. Greater plasticity in lower-level than higher-level visual motion processing in a passive perceptual learning task. Nat Neurosci 5, 1003–1009 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn915

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